The 3,000-seat stadium is ready to go, and there is room for expansion if needed, says David Satterwhite, president and CEO of the Saints.

“We want to show Cincinnati what a true soccer atmosphere can bring to the city,” he says. “Bringing the soccer community that has always been in the suburbs will help them see what they’re missing out on in OTR.”

About 60,000 kids play soccer in the Greater Cincinnati area—10 years ago, Cincinnati was second in the country in youth participation on a per capita basis.

“There’s a huge market for kids playing soccer here,” Satterwhite says. “We’ve created a really good team with really good players, and the natural progression has led to a professional team.”

The Saints’ men’s team was founded in August 2009, and the women’s team in December 2011. Currently, the indoor teams play at the Tri-County Soccer Plex, and the outdoor teams have played the last few years at Withrow High School.

The Saints organization has been looking for an outdoor stadium that will allow them to sell alcohol to fans, but they haven’t been able to find one. They’re currently working with local breweries to host tailgate parties before the games in order to enhance the fan experience.

Last year, Over-the-Rhine-based construction and development company Core Resources added to its team to handle its Family Dollar Stores Inc. account. In 2013, the company had 48 employees; by the end of 2014, that number will grow to about 70.

In the next four months, Core Resources plans to add an administrator, a developer, two project managers and 15 field managers.

This year, Family Dollar is building out 550 stores across the country. Core Resources is developing and building free-standing stores for the retailer in Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, Michigan, Tennessee, West Virginia, Illinois and Missouri. Over the past two years, it has finished 12 stores, and currently has 60 projects in various stages of development and construction.

Most stores aren’t in Cincinnati, but three have been completed locally, one is under construction and two more are approved for construction. All work is being handled out of Core Resource’s OTR office.

Andrew Gomez learned to make salsa from his father, who learned to make salsa when he was growing up from his mother.

“I don’t make it like my dad, and he doesn’t make it like my grandma,” Gomez says.

At the end of March, Gomez will be opening his restaurant, Gomez Salsa, on 12th Street in Over-the-Rhine. It will be a to-go window only, with late night offerings until 3 a.m.

Gomez’s salsa is a thick, hand chopped salsa that lets you see exactly what you’re eating and adds texture to his tacos. Gomez Salsa will specialize in not just salsa, but tacos and another dish called the Turtle Shell, which consists of rice, beans, cheese, a tostada, sour cream, lettuce, meat and salsa seared closed with melted cheese.

“We want to be a convenient, fresh Mexican food option in OTR,” Gomez says. “It’s exciting to be one of the first new places over here after Rhinehaus to help get things going. We’re excited to be part of it.”

He also wants to offer customizable build-your-own taco bars for catering. And he plans to offer beer and food pairings with next-door neighbor HalfCut, which is owned by Gomez’s friend Jack Heekin.

Keep your eyes peeled for Gomez Salsa's Indiegogo campaign in the next few weeks. One of the offers will be a food and beer pairing, probably for happy hour, Gomez says.

Three years ago, New York City native Noah Smith purchased the Gerke Building, which he's calling Kool Cellar, at 132 W. Court St. Because of the building’s unique characteristics, he envisions the building becoming a brewery or a restaurant.

The Gerke Building was designed and built by German immigrants in 1861, long before mechanical refrigeration. Instead, the building is fitted with a lager cellar, which was used to ferment beer that needed to be kept at cool temperatures. There are lots of buildings like the Gerke Building around town, but it has one of the deepest and most well-preserved lager cellars.

Beneath the 21-unit apartment building lies a 1,600-square-foot storefront that Smith says would make a great brewery or restaurant space. Below that is the upper cellar, which is 1,200 square feet and has an 11-foot ceiling. Then comes the lower cellar, which has an 18-foot ceiling and stays at 58.6 degrees, no matter the temperature outside.

Smith wants to rent out Kool Cellar, or part of it, for free because starting a business is an expensive venture. Another option for the space is a production facility for aging cheese, wine or even mushrooms—a less expensive option that would allow the storefront to be rented separately from the cellar.

Smith is a landlord and condo developer in New York City, and when the market went south, he began to look elsewhere for development opportunities. After looking at several buildings in places like Fort Dodge, Iowa, Smith came to Cincinnati. The city was in transition, and he wanted to be part of it.

“I really like what’s going on in Over-the-Rhine,” Smith says. “There’s lot of energy here, and Cincinnati has the promise of becoming a destination city.”

The Gerke Building was the first one he purchased in Cincinnati, and he now owns the Thunderbird Apartments in East Walnut Hills and the Manifest Gallery building, along with a few others.

“There’s so much happening below Liberty Street in OTR, but above Liberty, not much is happening,” Smith says. “I want to see development happen there, and that’s where I’m starting.”

Cincinnati’s Neighborhood Enhancement Program, a 90-day collaborative effort between city departments, neighborhood residents and community organizations, focuses on developing the assets of individual neighborhoods.

By focusing, integrating and concentrating city service delivery and community redevelopment efforts, the NEP’s goal is to improve the quality of life in Cincinnati. Examples of integrated service delivery include concentrating building code enforcement; identifying and “cooling down” crime hot spots; cleaning up streets, sidewalks and vacant lots; beautifying landscapes, streetscapes and public right-of-ways; and engaging property owners and residents to create and sustain a more livable neighborhood. Targeted areas are identified through an analysis of building code violations, vacant buildings, disorder and drug calls, drug arrests, graffiti, junk autos, litter and weeds.

East Price Hill and Walnut Hills are participating in the program this year.

Before beginning the NEP, a neighborhood must consider its community’s commitment to the program. Stakeholders must agree on what needs to be done in the neighborhood, and want to improve the neighborhood as a whole. An NEP Steering Committee needs to be established, which is made up of a community council representative, a business association representative, a redevelopment agency representative (if applicable) and a resident who lives in the neighborhood, and come up with a list of goals to accomplish within the NEP time frame.

The NEP has won numerous awards, including the President’s Award from the Ohio Conference for Community Development.

Childhood friends and founders of the Pedal Wagon, Jack Heekin and Tom O’Brian, will soon open the doors to their newest venture, HalfCut. The craft beer café will carry pints, flights and growlers of fresh beer or six-packs to go.

The idea for HalfCut came from Heekin’s father, a beer lover and Cincinnati history enthusiast. He told them about the resurgence of growlers in different parts of the country, and they thought it would be a good avenue with which to join the craft beer movement in Cincinnati.

“Half cut” is a slang term from the 1920s that means "the perfect state of mind."

“We feel like HalfCut will occupy a unique niche in OTR,” Heekin says. “There’s nowhere else like this neighborhood in Cincinnati, and there’s so much development going on. We love what’s happening and are excited to be part of it.”

In December 2012, Heekin and O’Brian took a cross-country road trip to refine their craft beer bar idea. HalfCut will serve craft beer from across the country, but with a heavy local influence.

HalfCut is housed in the 130-year-old Gobrecht building at 1128 Walnut St. The 800-square-foot space will be very low-key, much like a coffee shop. It will also offer a to-go window for customers who pass by on the street.

“Before you make your decision, you can sample different beers,” Heekin says. “We want to bring a unique experience that focuses on beer. No matter what level of beer you’re at—whether you don’t like beer, drink Bud Light or love craft beer—you’ll feel welcome at HalfCut.”

All of the tap handles will be the same, so customers are making their selections based on taste rather than handle design, he says.

In addition to beer, HalfCut will serve light snacks like pretzels and possibly meat and cheese platters. There will also be beer pairings with Gomez Salsa, which is a restaurant that is coming soon to the area.

Heekin and O’Brian hope to have HalfCut up and running by the end of January. They used the crowdsourcing site indiegogo to raise funds for their venture.

This year, Findlay Market is adding a winter farmers market to its lineup. The market, which started this past weekend, will be held in the Globe Building on the corner of Elm and Elder streets, across from the OTR Biergarten.

A winter farmers market has been in the works for three years now, says Karen Kahle, resource development director for the Corporation for Findlay Market.

“We know that the demand for local food is there,” she says. “But when there is just a seasonal farmers market, people get out of the habit of going, and they might not resume that habit in the spring.”

This year, Findlay Market was a bit space-challenged. Organizers thought about tenting the sides of the farm shed for the winter market, which has been done for events in the past, but the tents are cold and not cost-effective. The Globe Building, although not a permanent solution, wasn’t being used and was available for the time frame needed.

The winter market will be on the building’s first floor and will occupy about 3,500 square feet of space. There will be a wide array of vendors, from farmers to artists and crafters.

“We hope the winter farmers market will bring more shoppers to the market and turn seasonal shoppers into year-round shoppers,” Kahle says. “We want to become an outlet for farmers to make more money, and maintain or amp up their production. We also want to help strengthen the community and provide access to local food, which is good for the economy because dollars stay in the region.”

Findlay Market is exploring the possibility of dedicating a storefront to locally produced food as a way to have a year-round farmers market. There are also plans in the works to have a shared-use kitchen, and possibly sell the product coming out of the kitchen in the storefront.

As always, Findlay Market is open year-round, six days a week. Winter farmers market hours are Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Sundays 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dec. 7-29, and Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Jan. 4-March 29.

The Cincinnati Brewing Heritage Trail will soon begin to take shape in Over-the-Rhine and surrounding areas. The trail celebrates the city’s brewing heritage and how beer shaped Cincinnati. It won’t focus as much on craft beer, but how beer built the city and influenced economic, social and political life.

“Technology allows people to interact with the real world in many ways, and we wanted to take advantage of that with the development of the Brewing Heritage Trail and be able to tell many stories,” he says.

Virtual aspects will allow people to see underground spaces and buildings that no longer exist. The technological component will also allow the trail to be an evergreen attraction, possibly with a new tour every year and different featured activities.

The trail is primarily in OTR, but the city’s brewing heritage also extends downtown, to Clifton Heights and into the West End. There are plans to extend it out to West Chester and Sharonville as well, as many brewers have their farms out that way, Hampton says.

“We want the trail to bring two things to the city,” Hampton says. “We want to honor and celebrate Cincinnati’s heritage, and brewing heritage is a big piece of it. The trail is also an economic development tool, much like the Freedom Trail in Boston. The trail will give purpose and identity to the neighborhoods, and bring visitors there that will support small businesses and spend money at local establishments.”

The trail is still in the pre-development phase, and the final concept will be revealed in January.

Construction of the 3,350-square-foot gym began in July, and the grand opening was November 1. The boxing gym was built at the site of the former Cincinnati Recreation Center indoor pool, which hasn’t been used for a few years because of leaks and other maintenance issues. The pool was filled in, and three boxing rings now stand in its place.

The floor of the gym is blue with a red running track along the outside, and the walls are red, white and blue striped. There are 17 heavy bags, six feed bags and a wall of mirrors for shadow boxing. Golden Gloves plans to host between six and eight events per year in the gym.

One of the boxing rings is a vintage ring that used to be located at Cincinnati Gardens and has been in storage for the past 10 years. The ring used to house matches for Cincinnati fighters like Aaron Pryor, Ezzard Charles and Joe Louis.

“The boxing gym is another destination location for the neighborhood, and it’s good for the community,” says Jason Richards, director of the OTR Rec Center. “It gives a positive program for kids and teaches discipline like karate or tae-kwon-do.”

Since opening, about 50-100 people have inquired about the boxing program.

Golden Gloves highlights the development of life skills, such as fair play, sportsmanship, responsible conduct and a commitment to schoolwork. Each boxer is held accountable for his or her grades and must hold a C average, otherwise he or she is suspended from the boxing program. Each boxer must also sign a code of conduct that emphasizes positivity and responsibility.
By Caitlin KoenigFollow Caitlin on Twitter

Construction began this week on Graeter’s newest location at 1401 Vine St. in Over-the-Rhine. It will be the smallest Graeter’s location in 100 years, with just 1,000 square feet.

The store will focus on ice cream and coffee, but will not carry as many baked goods and candy as its other locations. The new store will sell a small assortment of fine candies.

Graeter’s is currently working with Cincinnati-based Bruce Robinson Design Group to refresh its look. The Vine Street location will feature the new look, including an updated menu board, seating, tables and lights.

On the inside, the new Graeter’s will look like the former OTR location did in the 1900s.

Walnut Hills-based HGC Construction is building out the space. They have completed 202 residential units and 43 commercial spaces in OTR.

The plan is to have the store open before the holidays. It will employ about a dozen people.

Last February, Hamilton County commissioners approved a five-year lease to allow 3CDC to spearhead the renovations to Over-the-Rhine’s Memorial Hall. The project is estimated to cost about $10 million, and will include cosmetic renovations to help expand programming. Funding for the renovations will come from historical and new market tax credits.

In 1992, Hamilton County (which owns Memorial Hall), private donors and the Cincinnati Preservation Society funded a revitalization to repair the concert hall and add an elevator; in 2006, the Cincinnati Memorial Hall Society was established to help support, revitalize and maintain the space, and has a lease with Hamilton County to preserve, manage and operate the hall.

The Society currently has 23 trustees, and was reorganized and expanded in mid-2012, and an executive director was hired to oversee the day-to-day activities at the Hall. In the past year, the Society has raised $75,000 for improvements such as repairing decorative areas and purchasing chairs, catering equipment and audio-visual equipment for the Hall.

The 600-seat performance space has an ornate arch, decorative molding on the walls and Tiffany lights. Renovations will include a new roof, new electric and heating, improved restrooms, expanded catering facilities, improved theatrical and production capabilities and air conditioning in the theater (the Hall’s three reception rooms are air-conditioned).

“Through the renovations and revitalization of Memorial Hall, we will stimulate the community through extraordinary performances,” says Teresa Summe Haas, Executive Director of the Memorial Hall Society. “The combined commitment by the city and citizens has revitalized OTR. Memorial Hall, combined with Music Hall and the School for Creative and Performing Arts, set the stage for a world-class Washington Park Arts District. Memorial Hall is excited to be part of the renewed focus celebrating Cincinnati’s arts and community.”

Memorial Hall was built in 1908 to honor the veterans of the Civil War and the Spanish-American War. Veterans of the wars used the Hall as a meeting place and for various events; but in the 1950s, the last of the veterans of those wars died and Memorial Hall began to fall into disrepair.

In order to expand Memorial Hall’s offerings, the Society has obtained an alcohol permit for the building and compiled a list of preferred vendors for organizations that use the reception rooms or performance hall for meetings, events and weddings. The Society has been working on rebranding Memorial Hall, including a new logo, website and Facebook page.

“Memorial Hall’s mission can be summed up in three words: arts, culture and community,” says Bill Baumann, president of the Memorial Hall Society. There are two banners outside of Memorial Hall with its mission on them, announcing to the community what it’s there for.

In 2013, 70 different arts, civic and other organizations held more than 150 events at Memorial Hall—these numbers are up moer than 300 percent from 2012. In 2014, there are already 168 events, concerts, meetings and weddings booked, and this number is expected to grow, Baumann says.

“These numbers indicate the improvements being made to the Hall, the renovations to Washington Park, other improvements to OTR and the parking garage under the park, which show signs that there is a need for a multi-dimensional performance hall and building like Memorial Hall,” he says.

Taren Kinebrew started baking with her grandmother when she was a child. Her love of baking has always been a hobby, but in the next few weeks, Kinebrew will be opening a storefront for Sweet Petit Desserts at 1426 Race St. in Over-the-Rhine.

“I wanted to be in a community where people support small businesses,” Kinebrew says. “I like the walking traffic and diversity of Over-the-Rhine, and knew that Sweet Petit Desserts would fit in with what I know Cincinnati and the neighborhood to be.”

The 753-square-foot space will have a kitchen and two cases of bite-sized desserts for sale. The cases are moveable so Kinebrew can host events with the help of Christina Christian, owner of Something Chic, an event planning business. The two have teamed up in the past to plan baby showers, wedding receptions and fundraisers.

Sweet Petit will have a very artsy feel, with vibrant colors from the desserts down to the flooring, Kinebrew says.

Kinebrew hasn’t always done desserts. She was in the Army National Guard for seven years and has a degree in information systems and a minor in accounting. But she has always loved making sweets for friends and family, and her own business seemed like the next logical step. She started Sweet Petit out of her home in 2009.

Last fall, Kinebrew applied to be part of Bad Girl Ventures, and she won a $25,000 loan and $5,000 in marketing and website assistance from the program. Bad Girl helped her with forming a financial plan and official business plan.

Sweet Petit will offer red velvet mini cupcakes, bite-sized brownies, cheesecakes, key lime bars, lemon squares, pie tartlets, cake pops, cookies and desserts in cups—think chocolate mousse. Prices will range from $2 per dessert to $9.50 for a half dozen or $18 for a dozen. More expensive items like pie tartlets and chocolate dipped strawberries will be $24 per dozen.

Sweet Petit will have three paid employees, including Kinebrew. She also hopes to bring on interns so they can learn how to run a business and hone their pastry skills.

NAT was made available to the public this spring,and was in development for six to eight months before that. It’s free, and it promotes engagement and resource-sharing among residents. Residents can add assets to NAT, and they’re immediately available to other users.

“If you’re new to the community or thinking of moving to a neighborhood, you can find what’s going on there,” says Trina Jackson, program director of the Community Building Institute. “You can find community councils and neighborhood associations. Lots of people don’t know about grassroots organizations, and Nat allows residents to connect with one another through smaller organizations.”

The United Way helps support community development and community-based organizations, and NAT is the community engagement arm for Xavier, Jackson says. “We were focused on getting people connected with each other, and helping them see what’s out there.”

For example, in Evanston, many people know about the employment resource center. But if you’re not from the neighborhood, you don’t necessarily know it’s there, so you turn to the computer or your phone to find the things you need.

NAT focuses on a neighborhood’s strengths, and doesn’t include crime data or vacant property statistics. It's intened to be used by new and potential residents, entrepreneurs and developers as a tool to help find the best locations to live, work and play.

The Community Building Institute plans to host a series of “data entry parties” where people can get together and enter assets into NAT and learn new things about the neighborhood they live in. The first one is planned for Walnut Hills, but the date is to be determined.

One of the first LEED silver certified homes in Over-the-Rhine is for sale. The two-story, 2,000-square-foot, three bedroom, two-and-a-half bath home was completely renovated by Chris Reckman and his fiancé, Louisa Deutsch.

Reckman, of C.A.R. Construction dba Urban Expansion, purchased the structure at 1504 Race St. in March of this year. Reckman has rehabbed several other historic buildings and single-family homes in OTR—he and Deutsch did a complete and thorough gut and rehab on the property. They had to clear away a lot of trash from the inside of the house and repair the floor that had buckled due to water damage. The home is now live-in ready, and until they sell it, Reckman and Deutsch are living there.

LEED, which stands for Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design, provides building owners and operators with a framework for identifying and implementing practical and measurable green building design, construction, operations and maintenance solutions. LEED certification provides independent, third-party verification that a building, home or community was designed and built using green strategies, including sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality. To be LEED silver certified, a building must receive 50–59 points.

“With the opening of Washington Park, there is now more of a demand for these types of homes,” Reckman says. “OTR isn’t just empty nesters and young professionals, but people with kids who see the value of living in the city. Plus, the streetcar is going to go right past the house’s front door, and that’s huge.”

Most of Cincinnati is familiar with the City Flea, the city’s once a month urban flea market. But this year, founders Nick and Lindsay Dewald are hosting the City Flea Small Mall November 17 from noon to 6 p.m. at the 21c Museum Hotel.

The Small Mall will feature locally owned small businesses under one roof, so it’s convenient for shoppers. The vendors are all ones that the Dewalds love from around the city.

“We want to bring a heightened awareness to the number of unique small businesses that are in the city,” Dewald says. “We’re hoping that, with the event being on a Sunday, more of the shop owners will be able to attend and answer questions, tell shoppers where they’re located and what’s around them. We want to get people excited about the city and what it has to offer.”

The 21c is working side-by-side with the City Flea to make the market happen, and Dewald is excited to bring more people to the hotel.

“I hope people take the extra time to look at the art at the 21c, and maybe go eat at the Metropole after the market,” he says.

The 21c is going to have a bar set up during the market and will offer fun cocktails for shoppers to try.

Upcoming City Flea events include the Factory Flea October 19 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the American Can Lofts in Northside and the Wrapped Up Holiday Market December 14 from 5 to 10 p.m. in Washington Park in Over-the-Rhine.